IMF to Alexis Tsipras: 'Do you feel lucky, punk?'

By pulling its negotiators out of talks in Brussels, the IMF is asking Greece to decide whether it can afford to carry on haggling

"You've got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" The lines spoken by Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry sprang to mind when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that it had called its Greek negotiating team home from talks in Brussels.

The IMF's message was short and brutal. There were still major differences between Greece and its creditors. There was no progress in narrowing those differences. The two sides were well away from an agreement.

Related: IMF walks out of Greece bailout talks